While I myself only fancifully thought Barry ‘would be nice’ to buy, there are plenty of equal alternatives out there that Arsenal can stock their ranks with.

But there is something amiss amongst the hundreds-of-thousands that footballers earn to settle for such a middling club.

Granted, if Citeh go on to acquire someone like Tevez, they’ll have the makings of a top-four side, certainly. But the lack of aspiration to join a side in the lower reaches of the Premier League at the age of 28 must grate with so many struggling in these economically ill times.

But while Man City have to do the proverbial Chelski and buy a million players while waiting at least two years before the team starts finding itself, Arsenal have a more precise, surgical job.

The equation remains the same: find a central midfielder and central defender, first and foremost. Barry is off the list (assuming he ever was at all), but there are still many handfuls of candidates out there.

But for now, let’s revel in a new footballing effigy to freshen up Ashley Cole and Robinho’s club-house.

A very quick one today as its late and I’ve just got back from beating my footie club’s girls’ XI 6-1. Supreme!!

More summer droll links us with Everton defender Joleon Lescott – a boy we’ve been linked with many a time while he was at Wolves and during his time with the Toffees.

With one of the best British managers going in David Moyes and a near-miss in a rather flat FA Cup Final yesterday, prying one of Everton’s prized assets will be no mean feat.

If the £12 million asking price touted is correct, that would take up almost all of our spending budget, if other reports are also true.

The man would certainly give us an aerial threat from set pieces as well as calm and assurance at the back. Who we would best partner is entirely up to conjecture, but it would add some real competition for places.

From one arbitrary rumour to another, Cesc Fabregas has been linked, by the Mirror, to a £40 million move to Milton Keynes Dons. Some of you may have been expecting Barcelona, but surprise surprise, the editors have gone for something a bit more original this time round.

I queried this with my partner who studies in the field of medical science and this really is a new one to her. The link between one’s teeth and muscular injuries sounds like it was contrived by a witch-doctor, frankly.

But hey, if it helps, then so be it.

Now, a quick bout of house-keeping to alert you all to some developments regarding Third-Gen.

Having finally finished my university commitments bar a handful of exams, my commitments can go back to the blog and my full-time job, which apart from being able to blog every evening for your reading-pleasure, gives me time to delve into some more work-intensive projects.

Coming up in July close to the new season’s start is a particular multimedia project that I think you will all find interesting and will hopefully develop as readers start to contribute towards it in a number of ways.

More will be revealed as time goes on, but it will involve a number of things, including interviews with Arsenal-bloggers, rival fans and journalists as well as rely on reader-submitted-content like photos from games, videos of drunken Arsenal fans chanting away (the more drunk, the better!) as well as other bits and bobs that I’m still fine-tuning.

In short, I’m very excited by it all and as the date of release draws near, more will be revealed.

Also, third-gen will be getting its own site soon, so hopefully that passes over smoothly and without drama. I’ll let you all know when to update bookmarks accordingly.

Also on the horizon are prize giveaways as well as a bit of advertising, I digress, but the increased costs that will come about will need to pay themselves off, somehow. I hope you understand and that it will not be too invasive.

I can see many saying Arsenal are better off without the utility player, but I will stick my neck out and disagree.

During a rather long, annoying blogging hiatus of mine, a time came in late 2008 when, in a game against Wigan at the Emirates, Eboue played what can only be described as an utter donkey-squat of a car-crash of a game.

The booing that followed divided many and visibily devastated Eboue.

But since that day where neither Eboue or sections of the Emirates crowd did themselves any favours, the Ivorian experienced a mini-golden period where he scored 3 goals and showed real drive and purpose in his performances.

These performances alone were not enough to convince me that Arsene Wenger must keep hold of Eboue for at least a season more.

Even amidst his more poor performances, Eboue has often struck me as one of the most direct players in the Arsenal squad.

Having cut out the diving antics which clouded judgements and caught the eye, one thing that has often got my attention is Emmanuel’s dribbling skills and ability to cut diagonally infield and make aggressive runs.

Surprisingly, it’s something that he does better than several players in the squad, including Walcott and Sagna. Only Clichy strikes me as the one player better than him in this department, but relative to the minutes each player plays per season, Eboue attempts it more often.

I’m not much of a stats man, so I’m only relaying impressions and while my subjective viewpoint won’t convince some, do bear in mind that Eboue, Denilson and particularly Song have been ‘shocking performers’ by default in many fans views, ignoring what they are actually doing on the pitch.

If competing for a place spurs him on, Eboue can contribute something tangible to this side.

If he can bring his awesome crossing ability back from the dead, he certainly could teach Sagna and Walcott a thing or two.

That and the Emirates Stadium desperately needs more players of cult status. We seriously need to work on more songs for each of the individual players. I’m aware of one song of Eboue, thanks to J Sanderson from YoungGuns, whom I stole this off of from an msn conversation.

Altogether, now!

“When the ball hits the net
You can pretty much bet
That’s….Eboooooooooueeee…”

That’s all for today. Again, add me on twitter for further Arsenalified updates. Until then, ciao.

First off, congratulations to Thierry Henry and Silvinho for winning the Champions League yesterday against Satan’s Choice Utd. It was a spellbinding performance from the world’s best team (at the moment!) and no-one will say they did not deserve it.

Thierry himself had a patchy game himself – most of the play came down the middle and right flank, but Henry turning Nemanja Vidic inside out just made my day. A pity about the finish (or lack thereof), but it was great to see him finally confirmed as one of history’s greatest ever.

Barca love-in stops here. Apart from Henry, Silvinho, Messi, Iniesta and maybe Keita, they’re all a pack of bastards, particularly in the admin block of that club. So enough about them.

So. Gareth Barry has his heart set on joining Arsenal– so says this article, rather emphatically.

Barry: Gunner love

What the article fails to mention is that the combative midfielder has a major case of throat inflammation brought on by a cold-front in the midlands.

The Aston Villa and England international is clearly unwell, failing to voice any quotes to the prestigious institution that is the Daily Star.

At least, him having too sore a throat to be able to speak is all I can surmise by the rag not quoting the midfielder once.

While I would love to spread rumours and poke a jab at Aston Villa (in a friendly manner), but Arsenal fans have been dragged through the Fabregas mud too many times to let this one slide.

Barry would be a terrific purchase, make no mistake about it. But I might as well say it is ‘understood’ Tim Cahill is desperate to join us. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Working in the media, I cannot see how a sports editor of any paper can let something through without a single quote.

British sports journalism must really be in a mire at the moment, if this passes for acceptable.